Dietary and Physical Activity Behaviors in 2021 and Changes from 2019 to 2021 Among High School Students — Youth Risk Behavior Survey, United States, 2021

Results

Dietary Behaviors

In 2021, 47.1% of students had eaten fruit or drunk 100% fruit juices <1 time/day, 45.3% had eaten vegetables <1 time/day, 75.0% had not eaten breakfast daily, 14.7% had drunk sugar-sweetened soda or pop ≥1 time/day, 11.2% had drunk a sports drink ≥1 time/day, and 44.2% had drunk <3 glasses/day of plain water (Table 2).

Dietary behaviors varied by demographic characteristics. A higher percentage of female than male students had eaten fruit or drunk 100% fruit juices <1 time/day (50.5% versus 43.6%), had not eaten breakfast daily (80.1% versus 69.9%), and had drunk <3 glasses/day of plain water (46.1% versus 42.2%). In contrast, a higher percentage of male than female students had drunk sugar-sweetened soda or pop ≥1 time/day (16.5% versus 12.7%) and had drunk a sports drink ≥1 time/day (13.6% versus 8.4%). Although certain exceptions were observed, the prevalence of these poor dietary behaviors was lower among Asian students, but higher among Black students, than among students from other racial and ethnic groups.

During 2019–2021, increases occurred for three of the poor dietary behaviors examined (Table 3). The percentage of students who had eaten fruit or drunk 100% fruit juices <1 time/day increased overall and among female, male, Hispanic, and White students. The percentage of students who had eaten vegetables <1 time/day also increased overall and among female and White students. In addition, the percentage of students who had not eaten breakfast daily increased overall and among female, male, Black, Hispanic, and White students.

Physical Activity Behaviors

In 2021, 23.9% of students had been physically active for ≥60 minutes/day on all 7 days, 44.9% had exercised to strengthen or tone their muscles ≥3 days/week, 16.0% had met both aerobic and muscle-strengthening guidelines, 19.0% had attended physical education classes on all 5 days, and 49.1% had played on ≥1 sports team (Table 4).

Physical activity behaviors varied by demographic characteristics. A higher percentage of male than female students had been physically active for ≥60 minutes/day on all 7 days (31.7% versus 15.7%), had exercised to strengthen or tone their muscles on ≥3 days/week (56.6% versus 32.3%), had met both aerobic and muscle-strengthening guidelines (22.9% versus 8.8%), had attended physical education classes on all 5 days (21.1% versus 16.7%), and had played on ≥1 sports team (52.0% versus 46.4%).

Differences by race and ethnicity illustrated no clear pattern across all the physical activity behaviors. For example, the prevalence of being physically active for a total of ≥60 minutes/day on all 7 days was higher among AI/AN students than among Asian, Black, and Hispanic students. Whereas, the prevalence of meeting both aerobic and muscle-strengthening guidelines, and playing on ≥1 sports team was higher among White students than among Black, Hispanic, and multiracial students.

During 2019–2021, decreases occurred overall for three of the five physical activity behaviors examined (Table 5). The percentage of students who had exercised to strengthen or tone their muscles on ≥3 days/week decreased overall and among female, Black, NH/OPI, and multiracial students. The percentage of students who had attended physical education classes on all 5 days decreased overall and among male, Asian, Hispanic, and NH/OPI students. The percentage of students who had played on ≥1 sports team decreased overall and among female, male, Black, Hispanic, White, and multiracial students. In addition, although the percentage of students who had met the aerobic and muscle-strengthening guidelines did not change overall, the percentage decreased among NH/OPI students.

Associations Between Physical Activity Behaviors

The findings in this report illustrated decreases from 2019 to 2021 in both the prevalence of students who had attended physical education classes on all 5 days and students who had played on ≥1 sports team but no changes in the prevalence estimates of having been physically active for ≥60 minutes/day on all 7 days or having met both aerobic and muscle-strengthening guidelines. These observations warranted an examination of the potential effect of physical education and sports participation on being physically active and meeting both guidelines.

In 2021, after adjusting for sex, race and ethnicity, and grade, students who played on ≥1 sports team compared with those who did not were 2.6 times more likely to be physically active for ≥60 minutes/day on all 7 days (APR = 2.6; CI = 2.4–2.8) and 3.6 times more likely to have met both aerobic and muscle-strengthening guidelines (APR = 3.6; CI = 3.3–4.0). Similarly, students who attended physical education classes on all 5 days compared with those who did not were 1.8 times more likely to be physically active for ≥60 minutes/day on all 7 days (APR = 1.8; CI = 1.5–2.0) and 2.1 times more likely to have met both aerobic and muscle-strengthening guidelines (APR = 2.1; CI = 1.7–2.5).